Page 45 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
“Great.” He gave her a lift onto Thunder’s back and then mounted his own horse.
After he gathered up his reins, he noted how much more comfortable she looked atop Thunder now. “All set?”
She nodded silently and he clicked his tongue sending his mount forward at a walk. Charly and Thunder kept pace beside them.
“You do know it’s dark out here,” she said.
Chuckling, he replied, “I could find my way around this land blindfolded and get home without a problem.” He looked up at the starry sky above before he grinned at her. “No speaking for the rest of the ride—just enjoy it.”
She pretended to zip her lips shut and smiled.
He let the quiet settle in and savored the surrounding sights. It had been ages since he’d gone on a nighttime ride like this. The last time was with Gunner and Eli before Gunner went on touring the world. Now, older, it felt vastly different...quieter.
The horses’ hooves crushed against the tall grass beneath them as crickets sang their tune. He stayed silent, wanting her to experience Montana’s vast beauty when the world went quiet, until they reached the top of the mountain range and Thunder slowed to a halt right next to him.
“Look up,” he said.
“Wow,” she breathed out in awe. “Oh, wow. I have never seen so many stars in my life.”
He followed her gaze, taking in the spectacular view for himself. Nothing could compare to seeing such magnificence up in the sky, and he’d never seen the stars so bright anywhere else he’d gone. Not when he’d visited Gunner on the road, or went out to spend a weekend with Eli in the big city.
Nowhere compared to Timber Falls.
“I can see why some believe there is a legend attached to this place,” she eventually stated, still staring upward. “It’s incredibly magical.”
“That it is,” he concurred.
After hopping down from his horse, he extracted a blanket from his saddlebag and unfolded it out along the ground before helping her dismount from Thunder too. He secured both horses to a tree and waved for her to come over and lie down beside him on the blanket. She did so, looking up into the stars above with a long sigh.
He got that too. Somehow the heaviness of life was gone with a simple exhale.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she murmured after a long while, turning her head toward him while crossing her arms behind her head as a cushion. “And thank you for introducing me to the ranch and showing me everything. I feel like I have a better understanding of people here in town.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a smile. “I’m glad you came.”
Part of him wanted to fill the silence with all the questions he had running through his mind concerning her, but another part of him knew she probably needed a few moments to herself—out there, peace was found.
“I had my doubts about moving here to Timber Falls,” she said in the silent night air. “Regardless if I had a million reasons to leave the city.”
He peered over and saw her gentle expression under the moonbeams. “Why?”
“Honestly, I just wasn’t sure that we were doing the right thing,” she said. “We’d worked so hard for the lives we created. Timber Falls is so opposite of what we knew. Life here is so different.”
“Maybe that’s what makes it so great,” he offered.
“Maybe,” she agreed with a nod, “but I was honestly terrified that I wasn’t only ruining my life but ruining Aubrey and Willow’s lives moving here. I was the one who created the pact. I was the one who called it in and said we should move here. There was just so much on the line. We sold everything. We put all our savings into starting this new life here.” She paused to draw in a long breathe. “For weeks, I’ve had this lump in my throat, feeling like at any second the ball would drop, and we’d realize we made a massive mistake.”
He was transfixed by her honesty and openness. “And now?”
“Now...” Her gaze fixed on him, and something sweet and pure passed between them. “I think this is where I was always meant to be.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The peaceful happiness on her face was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. “Why do you think that?”
She paused, looking to the stars again as if they held all the answers. “I don’t know, just...it feels...”
“Right,” he offered.
She nodded, turning her head to meet his gaze again. “Yeah, it feels right.”
